Tony Abbott rejects calls for reform of MP expenses

By Jonathan Swan

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has rejected any changes to expense entitlements for federal MPs despite a fortnight of strong criticism of the system, including of his claims for an Ironman event and two weddings.

Under pressure to explain why taxpayers should spend thousands of dollars to help politicians compete in sports events and attend colleagues' weddings, Mr Abbott said there would “always be arguments at the margins” and changing the rules would achieve nothing.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott: won't change the system of entitlements.

Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

“I'm not proposing to change the system,” Mr Abbott said on Thursday.

“You don't want members of Parliament to be prisoners of their offices.”

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The Prime Minister, in Brunei for the East Asia Summit, appeared frustrated that his international tour continued to be marred by questions about MPs' expenses.

“We don't want to fixate on this,” Mr Abbott told journalists.

“Politicians are entitled to travel when the travel is reasonably related to their office and that's what all of us do,” he added.

To properly do their jobs, he said, MPs needed to “travel pretty freely around our country” and nobody wanted to see a class of politicians bound to their desks in Canberra.

Under the current rules, federal MPs are entitled to taxpayer-funded travel anywhere in Australia for "parliamentary, electorate or official business".

Mr Abbott has been criticised for claiming more than $23,000 on trips linked to last year's Coffs Coast Cycle Challenge, the 2011 Bathurst V8 Supercar race, 2010 Melbourne Cup, 2010 Boxing Day Test match at the MCG, and 2011 Birdsville Races.

In his parliamentary expense report Mr Abbott described his $1300 trip to compete in the 2011 Port Macquarie Ironman as "official business".

Despite repeated requests, Mr Abbott's office has not provided details of any other community events or official business he conducted while in Port Macquarie other than competing in the triathlon.

Mr Abbott also claimed about $1700 in expenses for attending the weddings of former Coalition MPs Peter Slipper and Sophie Mirabella in 2006, which he repaid this week.

The expenses scandal has turned up questionable claims from politicians of both major parties, with senior MPs including Coalition frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull saying the “ambiguous” rules were partly to blame for politicians billing taxpayers for personal indulgences.

With Labor and the Coalition resisting changing the system of entitlements, the only politicians willing to tighten up the system are independent Senator Nick Xenophon and the Greens.

When Parliament returns, the Greens will re-introduce a private member's bill to install a National Integrity Commissioner to rein in entitlements abuse.

Senator Xenophon has proposed that politicians write short reports explaining their reasons for domestic travel; downgrade from business class to economy for flights of less than two hours; and repay double the cost of incorrect claims.

Fairfax Media revealed nearly a fortnight ago that taxpayers met the costs for Attorney-General George Brandis and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce to attend the wedding of their friend, shock jock Michael Smith.

Senator Brandis repaid $1700 after the story broke and Mr Joyce handed back $650.

Fairfax also revealed that Coalition MPs Julie Bishop, Teresa Gambaro and Mr Joyce together claimed more than $12,000 in "overseas study" payments to return from an Indian wedding they attended as guests of the billionaire Gina Rinehart.

On the Labor side, aspiring leader Anthony Albanese has been forced to declare two free tickets to NRL finals, after documents showed he took taxpayer-funded transport to watch his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus admitted he had wrongly claimed accommodation costs while on a ski trip to Perisher, only hours after he called for an investigation into Coalition MPs' “pattern of behaviour” in rorting expense claims.

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Mr Abbott's office sent Fairfax Media a list of Labor politicians using Commonwealth cars and planes to attend sporting events. These included Julia Gillard and Simon Crean attending the 2011 AFL grand final; Stephen Conroy going to the Australian Open tennis in 2012; and Wayne Swan travelling by VIP aircraft to the NRL and AFL finals while acting prime minister in 2010.